


Episode Nine: "Hasn't Anyone Ever Told You That You Don't Have to Do This Alone?"

by iriswrites



Series: Skam Boston: Season 2 [10]
Category: Original Work, SKAM (Norway), SKAM (TV) RPF
Genre: Gen, Multi, happy diwali!!, i project therefore i am, i've never read the great gatsby, pushing the indian agenda here, skam 2x09, there's no specific tws for clip six but if eds trigger you i would just skim it, tw for a few ed tendencies in clip 3, tw for a panic attack in clip 5
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-14
Updated: 2020-11-20
Packaged: 2021-03-10 01:28:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 5,177
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27566017
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/iriswrites/pseuds/iriswrites
Summary: Rubina Patil’s already made a plan for the next two years: work her way into the running for valedictorian, get into Barnard on the pre~med track, and get the hell out of Massachusetts. Yeah, she’s constantly stressed out, and counting calories is the only thing that keeps her in control of her life, but it doesn’t matter. When she gets these three things, she can relax. Until then, she’ll just keep on working.Elias Rivera is not a part of this plan. Ruby shouldn't even be thinking about him. He's just another worry on her brain, but no matter how hard she tries, she can't get him off of her mind.Control. That's what Ruby will get. She'll stop at nothing to achieve that.Too bad her body's got other plans.
Relationships: Rubina "Ruby" Patil/Elias Rivera
Series: Skam Boston: Season 2 [10]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1879771
Comments: 4
Kudos: 5





	1. Diwali

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 6:22 P.M.

INT. BASEMENT

RUBY is sitting in a chair in a basement filled with people in Indian clothes (including herself), adults laughing and younger kids running around shrieking.

She's completely alone despite the amount of people in the room, ankles crossed and staring at her phone. The girl squad group chat is blowing up, but RUBY doesn't read the messages yet. 

First she goes into her messages with ELIAS, the last ones from about two hours ago. RUBY had sent him "wyd lol", which he responded by sending a picture of a biology textbook and a "got a hot date tonight".

She takes a quick selfie, sending it to him with an "bored out of my mind" before going to the girl squad group chat.

The most recent message reads "rubyyyy we miss you" from JULIET, and RUBY smiles, writing back "wish i could leave this thing".

HOLLY responds with a selfie of her, JULIET, KARIMA, and GRACIELA smiling at the camera with drinks in their hands.

RUBY begins to type out a message but is distracted by someone standing above her. She looks up quickly.

RUBY:  
Vidya Aunty!

A woman around SHIVANI'S age smiles at RUBY, and RUBY reluctantly stands up to hug her.

VIDYA:  
What are you doing all alone here?

RUBY:  
Oh, I'm just...you know. Checking my phone.

VIDYA:  
That's no good. Why don't you go hang out with the boys?

RUBY looks over to where VIDYA'S looking to see three or four Indian teenage boys, all on their phones. She looks back at VIDYA, forcing a smile.

RUBY:  
No, I'm okay.

VIDYA:  
Ridhaan's nice looking, isn't he?

The camera pans towards one of the boys laughing at another one's phone. RUBY closes her eyes, taking a deep breath.

RUBY:  
Vidya Aunty~~

VIDYA:  
His mother's been trying to get him a girlfriend, you know? He's a nice boy. You should talk, you'll like each other.

RUBY:  
I don't need~~

VIDYA:  
Actually, why don't you wait right here? I'll just bring him over and~~

RUBY:  
[abruptly] I actually already have a boyfriend, so I don't want to talk to him.

VIDYA raises her eyebrows, a bit shocked, but RUBY doesn't look sorry.

VIDYA:  
Sorry?

RUBY:  
Yeah, so...

VIDYA:  
Does your mother know?

RUBY:  
I don't know. It doesn't matter.

VIDYA:  
Rubina, really, this isn't~~

RUBY:  
Don't worry about it.

VIDYA looks slightly appalled, and RUBY can see it. She takes a deep breath, trying to center herself.

RUBY:  
Happy Diwali.

She pushes past VIDYA before she can respond, who spins around, looking a bit annoyed. RUBY walks through the basement and heads towards the stairs as a conversation from above floats by.

NIKITA (O.S.):  
And so I was all like "no, your presentation was _way_ better than mine" and then _she_ was like~~

RUBY stops as she goes up the stairs, bumping into NIKITA and another girl around her age.

RUBY and NIKITA stare at each other for a moment, unsure of what to do next, before NIKITA finally speaks.

NIKITA:  
Ruby~~

RUBY doesn't respond, pushing past NIKITA and heading up the stairs. The camera pans on NIKITA, who turns around and stares after her for a moment before shaking her head and continuing down the stairs.

INT. LIVING ROOM

RUBY walks upstairs and into the living room, finding an empty spot on the couch. She sits down and pulls out her phone again, checking her messages. 

There are photos from the girl squad, which she smiles at, and a message from ELIAS, which she opens up. It says "will your mom let you leave?" and she smiles, typing back "nah it's fine it's good to get out of the house anyways".

He sends her a heart and she moves to put her phone away before a message from SHIVANI buzzes.

The message says "Come down to eat there are good appetizers". RUBY bites her lip, typing back "i'll save some space for dinner". SHIVANI begins typing back, but she deletes it before she sends anything. 

She puts her phone away, crossing her ankles again and staring blankly out into space, the camera focusing on her face before cutting away.


	2. Look Like Shit

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 12:16 P.M.

EXT. COURTYARD

RUBY stands in the midst of the crowd, holding her backpack straps, her hair blowing in the wind. She stands out from everyone else, her face pale, her eyes bloodshot. 

She walks forward, slapping on a smile, and joins the girls, who are all standing together. GRACIELA'S in the middle of a conversation, her face serious.

GRACIELA:  
...so Julian's dad talked them out of it for now, since he's a lawyer and they're pretty rich, and they're trying to get Caleb charged too if he has to be, but they're not really agreeing and it's a whole mess~~

GRACIELA looks up when she sees RUBY, her face changing.

GRACIELA:  
Ruby!

JULIET:  
You look like shit, what happened?

RUBY gives her a look, and JULIET shrugs.

JULIET:  
I meant that with love.

RUBY:  
Yeah, I'm fine. Just tired. And I just had a bio test, so...

KARIMA:  
Oh, god, the one on photosynthesis?

RUBY:  
Yeah. Nothing's in order, so I don't see why she keeps telling us how important the textbook is if she won't even follow it. And I missed all of last week, so I asked for an extension but she wouldn't give me one.

KARIMA:  
She's awful. I'm good at bio, but with her I can't even understand anything.

RUBY shrugs.

RUBY:  
I don't know. I was studying all night, but I couldn't focus at all today.

GRACIELA:  
Isn't Elias in your bio class?

RUBY purses her lips, and GRACIELA grins.

RUBY:  
Yeah. Why?

GRACIELA:  
Nothing...

KARIMA presses her lips together, trying to hide a smile. RUBY very smoothly redirects the conversation.

RUBY:  
[to HOLLY] I heard about your award.

HOLLY blushes.

HOLLY:  
I haven't won anything yet.

JULIET:  
Oh, come on, you totally will.

HOLLY:  
There's a lot of good art...

RUBY smiles slightly.

RUBY:  
Still, regionals is pretty cool.

HOLLY:  
Thanks, Ruby.

She stares at RUBY for a moment. RUBY looks up, and JULIET and KARIMA exchange a look.

GRACIELA:  
[carefully] Did you have time to eat lunch, Ruby?

RUBY:  
Why?

JULIET:  
We're just asking. Since you were sick, we didn't know if you were nauseous or whatever...

RUBY:  
I'm fine. I can take care of myself.

KARIMA:  
Yeah, no, we know that.

She and HOLLY make eye contact, and then HOLLY throws on a smile.

HOLLY:  
Did you see my piece yet?

RUBY shakes her head, and HOLLY pulls out her phone to show RUBY something. GRACIELA turns to KARIMA and JULIET to say something, but she's distracted by someone coming near them.

GRACIELA:  
What do you want?

RUBY and HOLLY look up from HOLLY'S phone to see ELIAS coming towards them, sliding easily into the circle. His arm is touching RUBY'S, something that she's very conscious of. He frowns.

ELIAS:  
Nothing. I just wanted to ask Karima and Ruby how they did on the bio test.

KARIMA shakes her head.

KARIMA:  
I don't even wanna _think_ about it.

ELIAS laughs.

ELIAS:  
Yeah, it was pretty bad.

He elbows RUBY gently.

ELIAS:  
You?

RUBY:  
It was okay.

ELIAS looks at her for a moment.

ELIAS:  
Are you okay?

RUBY:  
What? Yeah.

ELIAS squints at her, and RUBY looks away again. GRACIELA steps in, noticing the tension.

GRACIELA:  
You need to come to my place after school, my dad wants to talk to you. You know, about the...

ELIAS'S shoulders drop.

ELIAS:  
Yeah. Okay.

RUBY:  
Is everything okay?

ELIAS bumps her shoulder with his.

ELIAS:  
It’ll be fine.

HOLLY:  
Everyone's on your side, Elias.

JULIET:  
Yeah. I mean, it was obvious who started the fight, so you should be fine.

ELIAS smiles wryly.

ELIAS:  
I hope so.

He looks behind them, noticing someone.

ELIAS:  
Shit, I’ve gotta go.

He kisses RUBY'S cheek.

ELIAS:  
Bye.

He walks off. As soon as he's gone, JULIET spins around towards RUBY.

JULIET:  
Okay, what the _fuck_ was that?

RUBY presses her lips together, trying not to smile.

RUBY:  
[innocently] What was what?

JULIET punches her shoulder, and RUBY winces.

JULIET:  
How long?

RUBY:  
A couple of weeks? I don't know.

JULIET swears.

JULIET:  
 _A couple of weeks_ and you didn't...

KARIMA:  
I knew!

RUBY:  
To be fair, it sort of just came out.

GRACIELA:  
Well, I found out on purpose, so...

HOLLY has been noticeably silent, and RUBY meets her eyes hesitantly.

RUBY:  
I know you said that you don't like him anymore but I was...I just didn't really _know,_ and I didn't want to hurt your feelings, and~~

HOLLY smiles slowly.

HOLLY:  
For fuck's sake, Ruby, I'm not _mad._

She side hugs RUBY.

HOLLY:  
No feelings left, I swear. I'm happy for you.

RUBY smiles slightly and leans into her. 

RUBY:  
Thanks.

HOLLY:  
Okay, enough of that, because now we want details.

RUBY rolls her eyes, smiling.

RUBY:  
Seriously?

JULIET:  
Um, _yes?_ Obviously!

RUBY tries to keep from smiling too wide, and when JULIET pokes her cheek, she laughs, sounding somewhat happier than she was earlier.


	3. Unhealthy

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 6:42 A.M.

INT. BATHROOM

 _Cursive_ by Billie Marten plays quietly. RUBY stands in front of the mirror, bent over at the waist as she brushes out her hair and pulls it into a ponytail. She straightens up and ties her hair before pulling off her hoodie, leaving her in only a sports bra.

She grabs an oversized t~shirt off of the counter and moves to put it on, but she notices herself in the mirror. She stares at her reflection for a moment, breathing in and forcing a smile at herself, before letting it drop quickly.

She looks away from the mirror, pulling her t~shirt over her head. There's lipstick on the counter, and she sees it, but she doesn't touch it.

She brushes a loose strand of hair back and straightens out her shirt before exiting the bathroom without a second look back.

INT. KITCHEN

RUBY leans against the counter, drinking black coffee, her eyes focused elsewhere as the song continues.

She swallows the last sip of her coffee, her face screwing up as she does, and then sets it in the sink, turning the tap on.

She stares at the mug as it fills up and overflows, almost like she's forgetting that she has to turn the tap off. She remembers after a moment and reaches for it, turning it off slowly.

She picks up her phone from off of the counter and starts walking towards the front door before footsteps from behind her stop her.

AKASH (O.S.):  
Rubina?

RUBY spins around, instantly putting on a smile.

RUBY:  
Baba!

AKASH is standing at the bottom of the staircase, dressed in work clothes and looking tired.

AKASH:  
What are you doing up?

RUBY:  
Um...

She points towards the door with her thumb.

RUBY:  
I was just...going for a run.

AKASH raises his eyebrows.

AKASH:  
A run?

RUBY:  
Yeah.

AKASH:  
Since when did you start running?

RUBY:  
I don't know. A couple weeks ago.

AKASH nods slowly.

AKASH:  
Okay...

RUBY nods, turning back towards the door, but AKASH'S voice stops her before she can.

AKASH:  
Are you sure that it's a good idea?

RUBY:  
What?

AKASH:  
Well, you were sick for so long and...it might be a bit unhealthy.

RUBY:  
...Niki and Karthik didn't say anything, did they?

AKASH:  
About what?

RUBY shakes her head.

RUBY:  
It's nothing. I'm fine.

AKASH nods, not fully believing her but letting it go.

AKASH:  
Alright, well...be safe.

RUBY:  
I will.

AKASH turns into the kitchen, disappearing from sight, as RUBY stands in the doorway in silence.

She stands there for a moment before turning the doorknob and stepping outside, sunlight filling the house.


	4. Try Harder

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2:48 P.M.

INT. FRONT ENTRANCE

RUBY enters her house, focused on her phone, as she kicks her shoes off and puts her jacket on a hanger. She stares at her phone, typing something on it, and then turns it off, walking towards the couch.

She sits down, taking off her backpack and reaching inside, but laughter from another room stops her. She sits up slowly.

RUBY:  
Aai?

There's no response. RUBY turns her phone back on, pulling up her messages with KARTHIK, and types out "did aai say that she was having someone over today?". KARTHIK texts back "don't think so, why?" almost immediately, and RUBY texts back "nvm" before turning her phone off.

She reaches into her backpack again, taking out a binder and opening it on the coffee table. She leans forward, starting to take some papers out of it, but she can hear the laughter again.

RUBY sits in silence for a moment before standing up.

RUBY:  
Hello?

Still no response. RUBY raises her eyebrows before grabbing her phone and walking towards the kitchen. Her phone buzzes with a message just as she reaches and she stops just in the doorway, checking it.

We can't see the message, but she's smiling at the phone. She walks in, still looking at her phone but seeing SHIVANI out of the corner of her eye.

RUBY:  
Aai, what's~~

She looks up to see SHIVANI and DANA RUSSO sitting across from each other at the table, cups of tea in their hands.

DANA:  
Rubina!

RUBY stands in shock for a moment, her eyes wide. SHIVANI stands up slowly.

SHIVANI:  
Rubina~~

DANA:  
We've missed you! How's your new school?

RUBY doesn't answer, putting her phone into her pocket.

RUBY:  
Aai.

SHIVANI:  
Dana, could you give us a moment?

DANA nods slightly, a bit confused, and SHIVANI moves away from the table and into the living room with RUBY, out of DANA'S line of hearing. After they're sure that she can't see or hear them, RUBY turns on SHIVANI.

RUBY:  
Are you _serious?_

SHIVANI:  
Rubina, we talked about this~~

RUBY:  
Yeah, but I didn't know that you meant you were gonna meet her _here!_

SHIVANI:  
I didn't know that you were coming home so early.

RUBY:  
You're the one who's early.

SHIVANI:  
Vivianne's sister is having some friends over and Dana didn't want any distractions, we just wanted to catch up.

RUBY laughs bitterly.

RUBY:  
I can't believe you.

SHIVANI:  
Rubina, I don't understand what you're getting so mad about here~~

RUBY:  
No, of course you don't.

SHIVANI raises her eyebrows.

SHIVANI:  
What's that supposed to mean?

RUBY:  
It _means_ that you know literally nothing about me. You and Baba are always working, and of _course_ the one time you come home early is to hang out with the girl who ruined my life's mom.

SHIVANI:  
Me and Dana are still friends, Rubina. Just because you and Vivianne had a falling out~~

RUBY:  
It was more than just a falling out.

SHIVANI:  
I don't know what she did to you. You wouldn't talk about it.

RUBY:  
Because you wouldn't get it.

SHIVANI:  
Then you can't expect me to know anything if you won't~~

RUBY:  
Maybe the reason why I don't tell you anything is because you're never here long enough to hear it. 

SHIVANI:  
I have to work, that's not fair.

RUBY:  
How is it fair to me?

SHIVANI:  
Me and your father are trying~~

RUBY:  
Well, then, can you try harder?

SHIVANI closes her eyes, taking a deep breath.

SHIVANI:  
We shouldn't be talking about this right now.

RUBY:  
Then when?

SHIVANI:  
Rubina. We have a guest over right now, this isn't the right time.

RUBY opens her mouth to respond, but SHIVANI has already disappeared back into the kitchen before she can retaliate.

RUBY stares after her, her face fallen, as _Class of 2013_ by Mitski begins to play. After a moment, she turns around and opens the door, walking out of it.


	5. Exhausted

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 5:32 P.M.

INT. BEDROOM

The same song from the previous clip plays. RUBY is sitting at her desk, looking stressed as she sits in front of a computer. There's an empty document on it with just her name in the corner, and she stares at it, her fists resting on her cheeks as she tries to focus. There's a buzzing sound in her ears.

Suddenly the door swings open and RUBY stands up, surprised. ELIAS is standing in the doorframe with his backpack.

RUBY:  
 _Fuck,_ Elias, can you knock next time?

ELIAS raises his eyebrows.

ELIAS:  
I did.

RUBY:  
Okay, well, louder.

ELIAS:  
I knocked three times.

RUBY squints before nodding slowly and turning back towards her computer.

RUBY:  
What are you doing here anyways?

ELIAS:  
...we were gonna hang out today, remember?

RUBY'S eyebrows crease, trying to remember. Finally, something clicks.

RUBY:  
Shit.

ELIAS:  
You forgot?

RUBY:  
Yeah, I'm sorry...

ELIAS:  
It's fine. My memory's pretty shit too.

RUBY:  
It's just that I've got this English essay due on Monday and we need the first draft for tomorrow and it's a lot.

ELIAS walks closer to her.

ELIAS:  
What's it on?

RUBY:  
The Great Gatsby?

ELIAS:  
Oh, we just finished that. Do you need help?

RUBY:  
No, I'm fine, I just really need to focus right now.

ELIAS shifts.

ELIAS:  
I can go if you want.

RUBY:  
No, it's just...I'm really stressed out right now, it's like...

She moves her hands around, trying to explain.

RUBY:  
It's like my brain isn't working or some shit, I don't know.

ELIAS'S eyes widen slightly.

ELIAS:  
Okay, well...maybe you should take a break?

RUBY:  
I don't have time to take a break!

As she continues to talk, her breathing gets faster and faster.

RUBY:  
I can't think and I need to finish this by tomorrow and if I don't have it then my grade's gonna go down and I _can't have that happen right now._ I basically just bombed my quiz last week because I couldn't fucking sleep because my head wouldn't shut up and then I couldn't focus. My head's never shutting up and I'm gonna fucking fail everything~~

ELIAS:  
[quietly] Ruby.

RUBY'S eyes are wide, her hands on her heart. Her chin is tucked into her chest as she tries to draw in a breath, but it's not working.

RUBY:  
[realization] I can't breathe.

ELIAS:  
Ruby~~

RUBY:  
No, I can't...I feel like I'm gonna fucking die. I'm gonna die, right? That's the only...

She sucks in another breath.

RUBY:  
That's the only explanation for this...

ELIAS:  
Can I touch you?

RUBY nods, her eyes glassy, and ELIAS slowly touches her shoulder. When she doesn't flinch, he hesitantly pulls her into a hug.

RUBY:  
[shakily] I can't breathe.

ELIAS:  
Yeah, you can.

RUBY:  
Then what the fuck~~

ELIAS:  
I think you’re having a panic attack?

RUBY:  
But I've never...

She trails off, trying to breathe.

ELIAS:  
They can happen to anyone, you know? There doesn't even really have to be a reason. They just happen.

RUBY:  
But I'm fine.

ELIAS presses his lips together, not responding to that directly.

ELIAS:  
Yeah. Just keep breathing.

They stand like that for a couple of long moments, RUBY'S breathing eventually beginning to match his. After a while, ELIAS pulls away.

ELIAS:  
Okay, sit down.

RUBY sits down on her bed shakily, and ELIAS shuts her laptop.

RUBY:  
But I~~

ELIAS:  
Personally I think that you're more important than your grades, and while you might not think that, we're just gonna go with that for right now, okay?

RUBY rolls her eyes, and ELIAS stands against the desk.

ELIAS:  
Okay, so when this happens to me I usually get super tired afterwards, and I'm gonna just assume that you haven't slept in a while.

RUBY:  
That's not~~

ELIAS:  
Ruby, you look exhausted.

RUBY doesn't respond. ELIAS sighs.

ELIAS:  
You should sleep.

RUBY:  
I'm seriously not tired.

ELIAS:  
Then you at least shouldn't even think about your essay right now.

RUBY:  
I can't just stop thinking...

ELIAS closes his eyes, his shoulders dropping.

ELIAS:  
I know.

He forces on a smile.

ELIAS:  
That's why sleep helps.

RUBY blinks quickly.

RUBY:  
I'm just so...I'm tired all the time, it's...

ELIAS:  
[slightly sad] I know.

A beat.

RUBY:  
...if I sleep, you're gonna leave, right?

ELIAS frowns.

ELIAS:  
What? No.

RUBY:  
[slowly] You promise?

ELIAS smiles, shaking his head as he walks over towards her.

ELIAS:  
Of course.

She closes her eyes, breathing slowly, and he kisses her forehead.

ELIAS:  
I'm not going anywhere.

RUBY swallows, a tear spilling over.

ELIAS:  
Okay. Go to sleep.

RUBY nods, and when he pulls away, she wipes her face quickly before lying down. She pulls one of her blankets up to her chin, closing her eyes tightly. The light shuts off, and she pulls her blanket over her head, still breathing slowly.

ELIAS stands by the light switch for a long moment, waiting for RUBY to fall asleep. After he's sure, he walks over towards her computer, slowly opening it and sitting down in her desk chair.

He types in the date, and then after a moment of contemplation, begins to type in: _"In F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel The Great Gatsby, the portrayal of the difference between "old money" and "new money" reflects on..."_


	6. Friendsgiving

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 7:44 P.M.

INT. KITCHEN

RUBY is sitting in one of HOLLY'S kitchen table chairs, on her phone as the girls talk inaudibly in the background. She's got two messages from ELIAS that's in response to one that she sent earlier that morning: "did you do my essay??".

She reads the messages, one of which says "hey sorry i just got out of soccer" and the other saying "yeah sorry, you just looked so tired and i thought that i could help out".

She smiles slightly, typing back "well it was morally incorrect but thanks, it was rlly good". He sends her back two heart emojis and she smiles a bit wider, putting her phone away. 

JULIET looks over at her, smiling deviously.

JULIET:  
Who are you texting?

RUBY blushes slightly.

RUBY:  
I could ask you the same question.

JULIET:  
But I'm not texting anyone.

RUBY:  
But you have been.

JULIET blushes, and GRACIELA and HOLLY exchange a look.

HOLLY:  
Really?

JULIET:  
No, Ruby thinks that she saw something, but...

She swallows, shaking her head.

JULIET:  
It's nothing.

KARIMA raises her eyebrows.

KARIMA:  
Are you sure?

JULIET:  
Yeah, I'm sure.

KARIMA:  
Okay.

HOLLY looks between them before clapping her hands together.

HOLLY:  
Okay, so I made pasta.

GRACIELA raises her eyebrows.

GRACIELA:  
Why?

HOLLY:  
Didn't you see my message?

GRACIELA:  
You didn't send a message.

HOLLY:  
...yes? I did?

GRACIELA shakes her head, and HOLLY looks at RUBY for backup. RUBY shrugs.

RUBY:  
I didn't get any message.

KARIMA:  
Yeah, me neither.

HOLLY:  
No, I swear I sent one...

She pulls out her phone and swipes around on it for a moment before groaning.

HOLLY:  
Fuck, it didn't send.

JULIET:  
What do you mean it didn't send?

HOLLY:  
Our wifi's ass and it just didn't go through, I guess?

GRACIELA:  
Didn't you get the not delivered message?

JULIET:  
What message?

RUBY:  
The one that sends when your message doesn't go through?

JULIET:  
I don't get a message.

KARIMA:  
Yeah, me neither.

GRACIELA stares at JULIET and KARIMA, her mouth half open and her eyebrows creased. She starts to speak but RUBY cuts her off.

RUBY:  
What does this have to do with pasta?

HOLLY:  
Because it's Friendsgiving.

A beat.

KARIMA:  
What?

HOLLY:  
Friendsgiving! Since Thanksgiving's next week and everything, I thought that we could...you know. Do Friendsgiving.

JULIET:  
Isn't that a thing for millennials?

HOLLY:  
Well, my sisters do it.

KARIMA:  
Your sisters are millennials.

HOLLY:  
[laughing] Look~~

GRACIELA:  
Okay, back up, you made pasta?

HOLLY:  
Yeah?

GRACIELA:  
Like...the good pasta?

HOLLY:  
...is there a bad pasta?

KARIMA:  
I think she means the fancy one that you make.

JULIET:  
Shit, is this the one that you made on my birthday?

HOLLY:  
I think so? Let me just...

RUBY:  
[abruptly] Why are we doing this?

HOLLY looks unfazed, but the other girls look a bit caught off guard.

JULIET:  
Jesus, Ruby...

HOLLY:  
No, it's a good question.

She looks over at RUBY.

HOLLY:  
I like Thanksgiving. I like being thankful for things. And I'm thankful for you guys, and I wanted to tell you that. So I decided that we should do Friendsgiving. And I _tried_ to tell you, but it didn't go through. So. There it is.

RUBY doesn't respond, her eyes fixed on a certain spot on the wall. The girls exchange looks, but HOLLY stands up and pushes her chair in.

HOLLY:  
So. Pasta.

No one responds, but she goes to get the pasta anyways.

CUT TO: about five minutes later.

The girls are all in the same position, now with pasta in their plates. RUBY'S remains untouched. HOLLY clasps her hands together.

HOLLY:  
Okay, so I'm gonna get kind of cheesy now.

JULIET:  
I swear to god, if you're gonna make us say what we're thankful for...

HOLLY grins.

HOLLY:  
I'm gonna make you do that.

JULIET groans dramatically, and KARIMA rolls her eyes, smiling.

HOLLY:  
Okay, Graciela, you start.

GRACIELA:  
Okay, um, I'm...

She thinks for a moment.

GRACIELA:  
I'm thankful that Arizona flipped. And that Nevada finally finished counting their votes.

KARIMA:  
Yeah, right after Pennsylvania ended the whole damn thing.

JULIET:  
This is feeling more and more like Thanksgiving by the second...

HOLLY laughs.

HOLLY:  
Okay, moving on!

KARIMA:  
I'm thankful for pasta.

HOLLY:  
...Jesus Christ.

KARIMA:  
Not just your pasta. Juliet's mom's pasta is, like, out of this world.

GRACIELA:  
Why are you so obsessed with pasta?

KARIMA:  
Just white people pasta. It's different than the one I have at home.

JULIET:  
...white people pasta?

KARIMA:  
I stand by what I said.

RUBY, who's been oddly quiet for this entire exchange, closes her eyes, smiling slightly.

RUBY:  
She's kind of right.

JULIET:  
Okay, um, I'm thankful for...caffeine.

HOLLY:  
That's it?

JULIET:  
And you, Holly. I'm thankful for you.

HOLLY rolls her eyes.

HOLLY:  
None of you are taking this seriously.

GRACIELA:  
We're not really a Thanksgiving family. We're more like...takeout and _How I Met Your Mother,_ you know?

KARIMA:  
I didn't know when Thanksgiving was this year until a couple of days ago.

JULIET:  
Yeah, we're not really that big into that anymore.

HOLLY smiles, shaking her head.

HOLLY:  
Ruby, your turn.

RUBY is silent for a moment.

RUBY:  
[quietly] I don't...I don't really know.

KARIMA raises her eyebrows.

KARIMA:  
Nothing?

RUBY:  
No, I just mean...

She thinks for a second.

RUBY:  
I don't know. 

JULIET sighs.

JULIET:  
Okay, seriously, Ruby, what's going on?

RUBY looks over at her, her eyes a bit shiny.

RUBY:  
What?

JULIET:  
We're not stupid. We know that something's up.

RUBY:  
There isn't...what?

KARIMA:  
[gentler] We're just worried about you. A lot of people are.

RUBY:  
You don't know what you're talking about.

JULIET:  
You're right. We don't. Because you won't tell us anything.

RUBY:  
I don't have to tell you anything because nothing's going on. And it's not like that many people are worried about me, it's just you guys.

GRACIELA:  
[abruptly] Elias is.

RUBY blinks. Next to her, HOLLY looks away.

RUBY:  
What?

GRACIELA:  
I mean, I was the one who brought it up, but...he didn't, like, agree with me, but I know him, and it was obvious.

RUBY doesn't respond, her breathing getting shallower.

GRACIELA:  
So it's more than just us, okay? Everyone is. 

KARIMA:  
Look, Ruby, whatever it is, we're here for you, okay? So you don't have to worry about that.

JULIET:  
I don't wanna see you self destruct anymore, but you're gonna have to say something, because none of us can read your mind. 

She keeps on talking, but it all fades into background noise in RUBY'S head as she tries to block it out. It doesn't work very well, and her hands crash down onto the table. JULIET shuts up immediately, her eyes wide.

RUBY:  
 _Stop it!_

She blinks away tears, and the first person she sees is HOLLY, who's looking at her with this inexplicable sadness. RUBY covers her mouth with her hand, shaking.

HOLLY:  
Ruby.

RUBY:  
[through suppressed tears] Stop looking at me like that.

KARIMA:  
Ruby, come on, can we just~~

RUBY:  
[while standing up] Leave me alone.

She pushes out of her chair, heading towards the door, and JULIET stands up too.

JULIET:  
Can you just sit down?

RUBY whirls around.

RUBY:  
No, I _told_ you that I didn't wanna talk about this! Was that not blatantly obvious or what?

No one responds. RUBY laughs through her tears.

RUBY:  
I don't wanna talk about it because I don't _know_ how to talk about it, Because I know that if I tell someone they're gonna take everything away and then I'm gonna lose the only thing that makes feel like I'm in control of something and _I can't deal with that right now._ And it's my goddamn problem, and I need to deal with it by myself, so _no,_ I don't wanna talk. Do you guys get that now?

They're still silent. RUBY shakes her head and turns towards the door, but HOLLY'S voice stops her.

HOLLY:  
Do you wanna know what I was gonna say?

RUBY turns around slowly. HOLLY looks determined, but not upset anymore.

HOLLY:  
For what I was thankful for.

She pauses, swallowing.

HOLLY:  
I was gonna say that I'm thankful for you guys. I'm thankful for _you,_ Ruby. Because you guys are my best friends, and I wouldn't give you up for the world. And I care about you. Which sometimes means that we have to talk about shit that make us uncomfortable. Because that's what friends do. We talk and we help each other fix things and get better because we love each other. No one's gonna take anything away from you like you think, Ruby. Because I know what you're going through. I've been there, and it wasn't as bad, but I know how it feels. And yeah, it's your problem or whatever, but that doesn't mean that we don't wanna help you. It's okay to need help, even if you don't want it.

She pauses again, and the camera pans onto RUBY'S face. Her eyes are glassy, her lip trembling.

HOLLY:  
Hasn't anyone ever told you that you don't have to do this alone?

RUBY stares at her for another moment, and then she just starts sobbing. GRACIELA is the first one out of her chair, crossing the room to hug her, and the other girls are right behind her.

They stay like that for a couple moments, RUBY still crying, HOLLY looking close to tears. After a moment, she pulls away.

HOLLY:  
We don't have to talk about it right now, okay?

RUBY nods, too overwhelmed to speak, and HOLLY hugs her again. _Graceland Too_ by Phoebe Bridgers fades in as the camera pans onto the girls, lingering for a second before cutting away. 

_CUT TO END CREDITS_

**Author's Note:**

> hmu on tumblr @iamaconcretewall


End file.
